Gun mount



Oct. 24, 1944 J. M. COLBY Filed July 1, 1942 GUN MOUNT.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I l h u I: l

dbse h'Mjmby Patented Oct. 24, 1944 GUN MOUNT Joseph M. Colby, United States. Army,

Lake Mills, Iowa I Application July 1, 1942, Serial No. 449,302

(Granted under the actof March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928'; 370 O. G. 757) 1 Claim.

' The invention described herein may be manufactured andused by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a periscope sight for a gun and its mounting thereto.

An object of the invention is to provide a periscope gun sight coordinated with a gun mount through a simple adjustable coupling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a demountable optical system in axial alignment with the trunnions of a gun mount.

A further object of the invention is to provide a protected aiming system which incorporates wide angle Vision and oscillates with a gun mount.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description, in which:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic plan view of a gun mount and the coacting periscope sight system behind a section of armor plate.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the coupling between the sight and the gun trunnion.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of one of the locking plates.

Fig. 4 is a front locking plates.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the adjusting pin.

Fig. 6 is a view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation with parts in section of a periscope sight in an observation housing of an armored device, and

Fig. 8 is an elevational view with a part in section showing a periscope sight mounted in the top of an armored device.

A gun I is mounted in an armored device on suitable trunnions 2 resting in bearings 3. One of the trunnions carries an extension 4 which is splined for a short distance at 5 as shown in Fig. 2. A circular disk 6 having a central aperture 1 shaped to conform to the splines 5 is pressed into locking engagement with the extension 4.

A periscope housing 8 is rotatably mounted on shafts 9 journaled in conventional bearings Ill. The shaft 9 nearest the gun I projects through its bearing and carries splineways II, see Fig. 2. A plate or disk I2 with a notched central aperture I3 is press fitted on the splined shaft 9.

The shafts 9 of the periscope housing 8 and the gun trunnions 2 are in coaxial alignment and are adapted to be coupled together through the disks 6 and I2. Disk I2 is pierced by an elongated arcuate slot I4 as shown in Fig. 3. Diametrically opposite slot I 4 i a cylindrical recess I5 which faces the adjoining disk 6. In disk 6 elevation of another of the .wire is demountably engaged opposite the slot I4 in disk I2 is a threaded bore I6. Diametrically opposite bore I6 on disk 6 is a circular aperture ll. A threaded bolt I8 sliips through the slot I4 in disk I2 and engages the internally threaded bore I6 in disk 6 as shown in Fig. 2. When tightened this bolt I8 locks the two disks together so that the gun I and sight housing 8 move simultaneously. In Fig. 2 the adjoining disk faces are shown slightly separated for purposes of illustration.

A periscope I9 which includes a 45 tem and an aiming telescope mirror sys- 20 having a. cross by the housing 8 as shown in Fig. 7. The mirrors 36-36' are so disposed that a ray of light passes through the periscope H! as indicated by the dash-dot line. The optical system I9 must be collimated with the axis of the gun I. Final angular adjustments are made with the adjusting pin 2| shown in Figs. 2 and 5. Pin 2I has a circular head 22 eccentrically mounted on one end of the shank 23 and a knurled or tool-engaging portion 24 at the opposite end. The eccentric head 22 engages in the recess I5 in plate I2 and the shank 23 passes through the smooth Ib ore I? in plate 6. When the locking bolt I8 is loosened and the pin 2I rotated by using a tool on portion 24, the plate I2 is displaced angularly about its axis with respect to plate 6 because of the eccentric. Elongated slot I4 permits a limited amount of relative movement. When the gun and periscope are accurately collimated, the bolt I8 is tightened to lock the devices in the adjusted position.

Fig. 7 illustrates one manner in which the periscope sight I9 may be mounted in a housing 8. Housing 8 is an armored rotor carried by the shafts 9 in the bearing Ill. The periscope slides into the vertical portion 25 of the indirect light passage and is urged into position by spring pressed detents 26. A spring pressed plunger 21 locks in a recess 28 in the periscope to hold it securely in position. A lever 29 engages the plunger and pressure on the handle portion 30 will rotate it clockwise about a pivot 3| to release the plunger. A tug on the handle 32 will remove the periscope from its operative position.

The rotor 8 has an upper sight passage 33 which can be presented to an observation aperture 34 in the armored wall 35 of a device. Behind the frangible upper mirror 36 of the periscope I9 is a chamber 37 having a curved wall 38 for reversing the direction of and eliminating projectiles which fracture the mirror 36. When the mirror is broken, the rotor is moved counterclockwise until the hood 39 seals the observation aperture 2 34 whereupon the periscope can be removed without exposing the observer to gunfire and a new reflector can be safely inserted. The rotor may then be indexed to the viewing position shown in Fig. '7.

In some types of devices the protective hood.

39 and the ricocheting wall 38 are not employed; and a projectile passes through the reflector 36 and over the top of the device. Fig. 8 illustrates a periscope sight l9 mounted for oscillation in a rotor 40 about an axis 4| in the armored'top 4 2 of a device. Protection against projectiles which might strike an end of sight I9 is accomplished by employing a vertical plate 43 on each end of the observation slit.

This sighting system when combined with guns of certain sizes is adapted for use in several types of tanks. The periscope permits protected indirect vision and also aiming of the gun. The 00- J axial mounting of the oscillating members and the eccentric adjusting feature provide an observation and aiming system which is simple in construction, accurate within the'range of tank operations, rugged, and durable. This gun mount permits the physical separation of the gun pointing personnel from'the moving elements of the .sol'ely by the appended claim.

I claim: In combination, a gun mounted for elevation about a horizontal axis, a shaft extending from the gun incoaxial relation with said axis, an

other shaft adj acent to and coaxial with the first shaft, a periscope sight carried by the second shaft, plates securedirespectively to said shafts injuxtapositiomha stem rotatably mounted in one of said plates, an eccentric carried by said stem' and received in the other plate to adjust the position of on'epl'ate relative to the other, and releasable means for in the adjusted position.

JOSEPH M. COLBY.

locking said plates together 

